The Artemis II rocket, consisting of Space Launch System (SLS) and from the spacecraft Orionarrived at Launch Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center, Florida, at 6:42 pm (local time) on Saturday, January 17, 2026.
The move marked the completion of a nearly 12-hour move from the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB).
The transport was carried out by crawler-transporter 2, which began the approximately 6.4 kilometer (4 mile) journey a few hours earlier, moving at a maximum speed of just 1.3 km/h. The vehicle slowly transported the stacked rocket and spacecraft to the launch complex.
After exiting the VAB doors, the complex made a scheduled stop to allow teams to reposition the crew access arm — the structure that allows astronauts and technical personnel to access the Orion spacecraft on launch day.
In the next few days, engineers and technicians will prepare Artemis II for the so-called wet dress rehearsal, a fundamental phase that tests the refueling with cryogenic propellants, the countdown procedures and the safe emptying of fuels. The test is scheduled for February 2nd at the latest.
The NASA does not exclude the need for additional testing to ensure that all systems are fully verified. If necessary, the rocket and spacecraft could return to the VAB for adjustments before the final launch date.
The Artemis II test flight will take NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover and Christina Koch, as well as Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, on an approximately 10-day mission around the Moon and back to Earth.
The mission represents a further step of the Artemis program towards new manned operations on the lunar surface and the creation of a sustained presence on the Earth’s natural satellite, preparing the ground for future human missions towards Marte.
Source and images: NASA. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial staff.
